Marshfield officials enthused about proposed Brant Rock Boardwalk

Wednesday

Jan 29, 2014 at 11:23 PMJan 30, 2014 at 10:47 AM

The Marshfield selectmen this week saw preliminary plans for a project called Brant Rock Boardwalk. The project, at 239-263 Ocean St., would include a restaurant, eight retail units and nine residential units. Existing zoning does not allow residential and commercial uses under the same roof, so the planning board is considering proposing a bylaw change that would allow for mixed-use development in the Brant Rock area.

Jessica Trufant The Patriot Ledger @JTrufant_Ledger

MARSHFIELD – Town officials are backing proposed zoning changes that would allow the owners of Arthur and Pat's Restaurant and the Latest Scoop to revitalize their strip of commercial space in Brant Rock into a boardwalk with retail shops and housing.Selectman John Hall said he "wholeheartedly supports" a zoning change that would allow for a mixed development of housing and businesses in Brant Rock, similar to Scituate Harbor.

"It creates a very vibrant community," he said.

Selectmen this week saw preliminary plans proposed by Arthur J. D'Allessandro to build Brant Rock Boardwalk at 239-263 Ocean St. There would be a restaurant, eight retail units and nine residential units.

An attorney for D'Allessandro, Adam Brodsky of Drohan, Tocchio & Morgan, said the family's longtime restaurant, Arthur and Pat's at 239 Ocean St., is in bad shape and needs rebuilding. The family also owns the Latest Scoop ice cream shop at 263 Ocean St. and the undeveloped lot between the two properties.

With the cost of flood insurance in Brant Rock expected to skyrocket, the family hopes to rebuild both ground-level businesses higher while developing a boardwalk in the vacant space with a mix of retail shops and housing, Brodsky told selectmen.

Selectman Matt McDonough called the proposal "an exciting project."

A preliminary sketch by Eck MacNeely Architects Inc. shows eight retail units totaling 1,150 square feet on the first level, with eight residential units above. The rebuilt Arthur and Pat's would also have a housing unit upstairs. The boardwalk would elevate the development above base flood elevation.

"The Brant Rock area in the turn of the century had a lot of mixed use, and what happened over the years was people moved the suburbs and it faded away, and the truth is we're trying to put it back the way it was," Jeremiah Eck, a principal with Eck MacNeely Architects, said Wednesday.

Existing zoning does not allow residential and commercial uses under the same roof, and the project would require a variance. Town Planner Paul Halkiotis said there are such nonconforming buildings, but they have been grandfathered in.

As a result, the planning board is considering bringing to town meeting a bylaw change that would allow for mixed-use development in the Brant Rock area.

Halkiotis said such development could increase cash flow and encourage other property owners to flood-proof their buildings. It would also make Brant Rock more of a year-round destination.

"It would provide an additional source of income for the property owners, where they would be able to rent or sell residential condominium units on the second floor, which would create a cash flow throughout the year, which (seasonal businesses) can't provide," he said.

Selectman Steve Robbins praised the development for being aesthetically pleasing, calling it an example of the economic development the community has been pushing for.

"We know what happens every time we get a decent flood down there. (The businesses) shut down and it doesn't do anyone any good," he said. "I'm very excited."

A public hearing on the proposed zoning change is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Feb. 10 at town hall.